The glint of dawn shines onto the camping site surrounded by trees. The teens lay unconscious on the ground, their clothing stained red. Their ghastly necks simmer in the hot sun, now dried black. Kota's hair is bathed with blood and mud. His eyes flutter. The dim sun painfully sizzles his eyelids. The strange sensation wakes him. Kota's eyes open, but they're no longer chocolate. A pale tint replaces the warm color. He slowly sits up, holding the back of his pounding head.     

What did I dream of last night? That was insane. A demon man with red eyes. I guess I can't hold beer. He pulls his hand away from the nape of his neck...and is stunned by the blood. His eyes pop out of their sockets. Noo...no! That wasn't a nightmare?? Kota stares across the campsite, which is shaded ashy blue. He peers through the sheer light, finding his friends resting in puddles of crimson. Lifeless, with chalky white skin. NO...THIS CAN'T BE REAL! Kota shouts internally, kicking away, scooting across the leafy ground, scared.    

"NO, NOOO!!!" He hyperventilates as if suffocating...yet his chest doesn't rise. His lungs don't extend. His heart is soundless. THIS CAN'T BE! It can't! These aren't my friends dead on the ground!! THESE AREN'T THEIR BODIES!!!!! Kota sobs at the sight of Jimmy, Mike, and Liz's startled eyes...the windows to their souls are empty. Heaps of tears stream down his cheeks. Kota crawls to Liz. "LIZ??" He cries. "LIZ...WAKE UP!" He shakes her, only to gasp and withdraw his hand. Her skin is ice cold!! She's dead... they're all dead! Kota glances at Mike and Jimmy. "NO, NO... GUYS, GET UP!!!" He gawks at the gruesome gashes on their necks, recalling the attack.  

It was all real??? The long claws? The biting. Impossible speed? The sharp teeth??   

His hand darts to his neck, finding an identical wound there. That thing bit me too. But...why am I still alive? Kota's eyes sting from rushing tears. I want to be dead. I can't live with this! He buries his head in his hands. I froze in place when I should have fought...I'm the reason they're dead. Why...why didn't I fight? Why didn't I hold the thing back so they could escape?! So, they could've lived??! His gut plummets to an endless pit, Survivor's guilt eats at him. 

The sun rays illuminate the lower half of the trees circling the campground. Kota's ears twitch. His hands fly to them, feeling the movement repeat. What is that? White noise fills his eardrums, ringing loudly. His gaze jets to the sun. An impending doom shivers his bones. GET AWAY FROM THE SUN! Kota stumbles to his feet, startled by the inner voice that isn't his. Its tone is frantic and devilish. None of this makes sense, his clueless mind replies. 

GET AWAY FROM THE SUN!! The warning comes again, now desperate. IT'S GOING TO KILL YOU!! Kota squints at the low-hanging orb. The sizzling noise increases ominously. He feels his legs back paddle against his will. The ball of light buzzes on like a whizzing rocket. Why is it making that sound?? Kota watches it in confusion. The sun flashes like a flare, turning the whole sky pure white. RUN!!!    

The survival instinct leads him off into the woods, panicked and fearful. His boots crunch on twigs, passing over boulders at incredible speed. The sunrise hisses behind him like a gigantic serpent, morphing from dim to starburst orange. Kota increases his pace; his joints fluctuate as if not connected to bone. He flees in an unnatural motion. The blood that stains his skin intensifies, developing to a mouth-watering tease. That smell. Kota wipes his fingers across his cheek, collecting the fluid. That smell is so...so sweet. He sniffs the liquid like an addict, then moves his fingers toward his mouth. His lips part and his tongue reaches outward.  

NO! STOP! RUN!!! The deep voice growls. Kota stares over his shoulder at the sun, mortified enough to fight the thirst.   

The ball of light ascends the sky. Kota's skin particles flare as if little fires are growing from within. A flaming burn comes next. He yells. Smoke rises from his body. His feet blur as his skin steams, leaving a trail of mist behind. Kota's vision enhances, zooming in on a crevice beneath a hill. The sun blazes and hums as if about to explode. Kota dives the air, sailing towards the hill. His boots catch fire just as he reaches the shade.   

"Ahh!!" Kota pats away the flames with his hands, extinguishing his boots. His palms blacken from the contact, yet no pain is felt. To his amazement, the burnt skin heals, sealing away the second-degree burn within seconds. Kota stares in disbelief. "How...?" He studies his hands, then the daylight beyond the cave. Pillars of sunlight shine into the cave, bustling at high volume. So many questions rattle his mind. How is this possible? What am I? Am I what that thing was? Am I a monster??   

He sits in the dark hole for hours, cringing from the sun whenever it peeks into the crevice. He finds himself at the back wall once noon arrives. Kota hugs himself and shakes his head. "No...I'm not that thing. I can't be! This is just a terrible dream. That's all." He speaks hoarsely. "That's all." When a blanket of light splits one side of the cave, Kota scampers into a corner to evade it. This repeats for hours. Him fleeting from the sun while his mind tries contemplating what's wrong.   

Wondering why sunlight is his enemy all of a sudden. I remember riding horses on sunny days. Remember the beams of warm light covering every inch of my skin. I loved galloping through the open fields. Loved being bathed in the sunshine that poked through the mountains. Now I'm afraid of it. None of this makes sense. He's relieved when night falls. "Good. I can go home. I have to get home." Kota jets from the cave like a human race car.   

Once again, the effortless running returns. He blasts from the forest, past bus stops and gas stations, streaking down bare roads. When he bypasses the school, he slows. Flashbacks of him and his crew play in his mind. The dance floor, the loud music. The large crowd. All of them head banging and jumping. Liz giggling at Mike falling. Jimmy's ginger hair beating the air. Kota stops in his tracks.  

I have to go back for them. But what will I do with their bodies?? Take them to their parents? That's the right thing to do. If I can stomach carrying their corpses. I don't think I can. The images of their dull skin and empty eyes haunt him. The wounds on their necks sicken him. I can't. Kota rips his gaze from the lightless building and presses on.   

There are rez cops at the front gate. He smells the metallic scent of their blood. Hears it rushing in their veins...pumping their vessels. The desire to taste the liquid reoccurs. No...I can't hurt them! Kota races around the reservation to avoid attacking the guards. I've known Bly since I was five. He's looking forward to my mom's pudding. He has two kids he's taking to the Pow-Wow. I can't harm him. He uses his secret way in. The loose park gate. He walks a street of darkness, glad because no one will see that he's covered in blood. His holey, charred shoes step a cracked sidewalk. Kota nears his home.    

Everything will be alright when I get inside. I'll feel better. The street is usually silent, but now it blares with the noises within houses. Whirling microwaves. Tv broadcasts. Snoring neighbors. Each noise is crisp, as if right beside him.    

Kota climbs the stairs, reaching for the knob. His hand meets a force field. NO...NOO! I NEED TO GET INSIDE; LET ME INSIDE! "DYANI! Open the door!!" Kota yells drastically; his light tone rooted with strain. He tries the knob again...no luck. Footsteps from beyond the door approach, pounding like a hammer. Kota covers his ears and winces.    

The chain and the main lock click before the door opens. "Where have you been? Mom and dad are out looking for you!" Dyani inspects his clothes. "ARE YOU OKAY? THAT'S BLOOD!!!"

"I don't know what's happening..." 

Her hand drops from the knob. She slowly eases to the door's threshold. "You're scaring me."

"I need help!" He sobs. "HELP ME!!"

"I will...come in; we'll figure this out." Her voice trembles. 

"I can't." His hand reaches out, going a few inches, only to snag. He tries to place his shoe past the door frame; it too meets an invisible barrier.

"Stop joking around!" His sister grabs him by the arm and tugs him towards the door. His body slams, as if there's glass before it. Kota grunts from the impact and frees himself from his sister's hold. Dyani is shocked. "What...?" She tries to pull him inside again but loses against an unseeable force. 

Kota scans the archway in doom. This is my home. I belong here. I was born here...and now I can't step inside?? Home is what I need right now. I HAVE TO GET INSIDE! "Help me...please!" He falls to his knees. 

Dyani passes the archway to console her little brother. She kneels and wraps her arms around him. Dy immediately hisses and recoils away. "YOU'RE FREEZING!!!"

"I don't know what's happening!" Kota wails. 

She covers her mouth with her hands. "I...don't know what to do...Kota. What's wrong with you?" A motorcycle speeds down the street. Kota covers his ears, shouting at the discomfort the roaring engine brings. His eardrums violently throb. He swears they're bleeding from the inside. Dyani runs inside and slams the door, holding her chest. "WHAT THE HELL?!!" His screaming ends once the bike is far in the distance. Dyani cracks the door to find that her brother is gone. "Kota..." she mutters unevenly, peeking down the barren street. Dyani jets to the kitchen. A green phone hangs on the wall. She holds the receiver to her ear and dials 911 using the rotary spinner. Dy paces, her hands quivering anxiously. The line rings with a dated bell tone. The front door opens. She drops the phone and hurries to it.   

A man and woman in their forties survey her. Matto, her father, is tall and short-haired. Her mother, Odina, is average height with back-length hair. "Has your brother come back?" Odina interrogates, her long face grief stricken.

Matto's chest heaves. "Please say yes."

"He did...but something is wrong." Their daughter twiddles her thumbs, her neck tightens, showing tensed veins.

"What do you mean?" Her father's chiseled face tenses. A gate swings beyond the back door. Dyani steps away as her mother nears it. "Dyani? Tell us." Matto presses his daughter for information.

She clutch her fingers through her long hair. "Kota isn't okay! He's ice-cold and can't come into the house!" Dy eyes the back door. Her mother follows her gaze. Odina goes to open it. There's a concrete yard beyond it. The moonlight illuminates the brick.  

Matto furiously gazes at her. "Whatever game this is, end it now!" 

Odina spots Kota at the back gate. She squints before exiting. "He needs to be inside; it's freezing." She paces to the gate. Kota sits outside it, his head hung low. "Kota...?" Odina swings the gate open. The wind blows heavily, flowing her thick hair forward. This motion expose the veins of her neck. Kota's head straightens like a whip at the smell of copper. "Honey, come inside and tell us where you've been." She grips her coat to her chest. "You'll catch a cold. Come on inside."  

Her son stands. Kota turns, zeroing in on the veins of her neck. I NEED BLOOD! The dark voice in his head demands. Odina notice his demon eyes. Terrified. Kota looks to her neck, where blood swishes and chitters. "BLOOD!!" He shrieks. Kota's mouth extends; revealing sharp teeth which reflect the moonlight. His mother shrieks. Matto speeds.  

"No, don't go out!!" Dyani squeals. 

Matto examines his son's red eyes and sharp teeth. His mouth drops. "No...it can't be." A chilled whisper escapes him. 

Kota growls. Their son's mouth stretches abnormally, exposing rows of canine teeth. He charges at his parents, ready to kill...ready to feed. Matto push his wife behind him. He mimics an arrow symbol using his hands to draw it. The floating shape outlines the air in a white tint. Much like an archer, Matto aims the symbol at his son. The magic sign bursts white. Kota drops to the ground like a ton of bricks, releasing an animalistic screech. He squirms in agony. His skin smokes as it did in the forest. Matto grabs his wife and rushes her to the door. "NOO!!" she protests. 

Dyani grabs her mother, who tries to wiggle free, but fails. Dy pulls her inside. Matto backs away, startled. His eyes widen in disbelief. Kota hollers on the ground like an injured beast. The monstrous howls echo the block. His father hurries inside and closes the door. Kota fights to stand. The rune his father used binds him to the ground. His arms are restrained; he flings them high to break free. But his limbs bang back down to the ground. The white outline of the rune cages his body in place.  

Dad used a protection symbol. I need to use the one for freedom. I won't kill my family! A gloominess clouds his mind. BUT YOU MUST FEED, OR YOU WILL DIE!  

The wicked inner voice returns. No, not my family!! Kota tries to raise his hands to trace the freedom symbol into the air, but he can't lift far. Instead, he carves it into the stone ground with his sharp nails. The concrete splits from the pressure he uses to carve the sign. A drawing similar to bird wings. Once completely etched, the shape blazes white. The energy that entrapped him disappears. Kota flees.  

He stops at a river, its swelling water thrashes. Kota sits beside it, realizing he has no reflection within its ripples. Am I what that thing was? I'm a demon??? He feels his spiky teeth, each one molds into points at the ends. Kota sense heat within his irises; his fingers trace across his eyelids. What's wrong with my eyes??! He squeezes them shut as tight as he can.  

What's wrong with me?!! I tried to kill my parents! Why did I do that? I need their help!! My dad warded me off like an animal. My mom...and my sister are frightened of me. My family...my blood! Kota digs his hands into soggy dirt, shaking uncontrollably. Who will help me if they won't? Tears stream from his devilish eyes. Who? 

I will help you. The inner fiend comforts him. All you have to do is listen to what I say.

"I won't!"

To survive, do as I say.

"No...you made me charge them. That wasn't me. You did that! GO AWAY!!"

You will lose; the lack of blood will defeat you.

"I don't care..."

Good...rid yourself of emotion. Feel less to have desire. This life requires that. Let go of all the care you have. Humans are a means of food and pleasure. I'll show you. A beating heart fills his ears. The chambers of the organ pulse and chitter. The delicious scent of sweet copper hypnotizes him. The taste of desire....  

His mouth overflows with saliva. He gulps to ease his fiery throat. The pulsing heart is full of stocked veins. The swishing liquid traps Kota's mind. The smell is just as great as the taste. The devil within persuades. Have a drink. Kota's eyes flood black. He's puppeteer'd ahead by the evil influence. 

"I will have a drink." He says in a trance. Kota's legs whip the air. He utilize the sound of the heart to track down his meal. 

Downtown Tahlequah has many storefronts. A man enters an ice cream shop. The bell attached to the door rings. Kota shivers at the chiming; shielding his ears. He observes the man chat with the cashier while pointing to the vanilla flavor. Kota smells the creamy dessert, but it doesn't compare to the blood. He takes a big whiff, savoring the tantalizing aroma. Look to the car. The dark voice instructs. Kota does so. There's a sedan parked on the curb. A woman and two children are within. 

The man exits the shop with four vanilla cones. "Alright, off to the movies we go." The father opens the driver's door. "This means no asking for candy once we're there. Alright?"

"Okay!" Two little boys say in unison. They hang from the window.

Their father hands them the ice creams, then goes inside, closing the door. He hands his wife the other cones. "Sit back and buckle up."

Kota zeros in on the green veins bulging from their hands. A sloshing river of desire flows through each vessel. He takes another sniff. The delicious flavor of their plasma attracts him. He zips towards the car, not caring that the shop worker sees. Kota rips off the side door, where the mother is. The woman squeals, horrified. The father reach for the glove department. The children scream. Kota goes for the mother's neck, sinking his razor teeth into her hot skin. The father pulls out a 45 handgun but pauses to ogle in fright. His wife is being fed on. The gun shakes in his hands. Kota sucks her blood. The liquid electrifies his tongue. He groans in delight, craving more. 

The father shoots three times. Kota is unfazed by the bullets. The rounds rip through his clothes instead of his skin. There's no pain. Kota withdraws. Blood splashes the white ice cream. Slice their necks!! Kota obeys the other half and preys on the father. Slicing his throat. The man chokes on his own blood. The kids drop the bloody cones and pull at their door handles. Kota's nails grow into claws. The two boys pause and watch the talons grow. He cuts their throats. The children slump unconscious.  

Kota slurps on the father's neck, tearing the flesh to shreds with his jagged teeth. The long gulps of blood lubricate his lungs. His dead, flat organs swell. The ecstasy is overwhelming. The boiling fluid livens his heart. Every ounce of red is drained within minutes. When no more exits, Kota climbs back to the children. Just as he's about to consume the little ones, whiteness blinds the car.  

On the window is a symbol. Two arrows facing a circle in the middle. It brightens the car's interior. Odina and Matto swipe the rest of the glass windows, duplicating the drawing. Their son's eyes flicker from black to white. NOOO! LOOK AWAY!! The demon warns. It detests the rune, which wards off evil. Kota, its host, is hypnotized by the brightness from all four windows. The menacing presence evaporates from his mind. The black eyes fade away. Kota falls unconscious.

Thank the creator for allowing silence when unconscious. Finally, I'm away from that beast! That awful devil! I thought I'd never be myself again. I was wrong. My parents came for me. I thought they left me for good...wrote me off as bad. I'm glad they haven't. They will help me. Mom knows many healing treatments; she'll fix my condition. I guess she knows magic too...just as dad does. I never knew native signs were enchantments. I always thought they held the ideals of our ancestors...nothing more. 

I'm glad the signs have more meaning. If not for that, I'd have no hope. I would have kept killing...kept submitting to the spirit inside me. It told me to drink from that poor family, and I did. It possessed me...crippled me...used me for its own merit. I disappeared. My heart did too. My morals were dismissed as if I weren't human.  

I KILLED AN INNOCENT FAMILY! HOW COULD I DO THAT???!!

The scorching sound of the sun jerks him awake. Kota lies on the floor of his home. In a small living room. The curtains are closed; their backdrops lit orange. The dim room is quiet despite his family's presence. Dyani is on the sofa; the bags under her eyes are intense. Matto and Odina kneel on the floor. Herbal leaves surround him in a perfect oval. On the inside of the circle, the herbs form symbols for protection and evil spirits. A three-arrow design. Kota hoists himself onto his elbows. His sister flinches at the motion, scared that he'll attack. His parents are calm. Odina sadly gazes at her son. "Kota...how do you feel?" 

"I feel better." He replies lowly.

"Good." She sulks. "The castings are working."

Matto stands, his expression stern. "Son, you need to tell us what happened."

The images of the being in the woods bloom before him. The red eyes. The fast-moving figure. "Something attacked us. It killed my friends." His voice cracks. "They're dead....in the woods." Tears drip from his eyes.

"Oh, no...!" Odina covers her mouth, her eyes gloss.

"Their parents were out searching...same as we were for you." Matto says sorrowfully. "Those poor folks will lose their hearts from this news." He huffs.

"May the great spirit guide the young souls to peace." Odina prays mournfully.

Matto shares a heartbreaking glance with his wife. "Yes, the creator will rest their souls." He stares at his son with weakened eyes. "I wish you hadn't witnessed such violence." He steps into the circle to rest a firm hand on Kota's shoulder. "Your friends are in a place of no pain...and their parents will meet closure soon."

His mother is distraught by her tear-ridden son. She enters the circle to give him a tight hug. Her hands rub the back of his head. "It's alright, walela (hummingbird)."

"No...it's not." His father breathes. "I know what attacked him. As insane as it sounds, it's the truth, dear..."

"I don't think so...this has to be dark magic."

"Dina, he feeds on blood!"

"No...he's not that!" She argues. He's never seen his mom act so panicked. "He's still my boy...I can fix this!" Odina's hands tremble. "I will fix this, Kota!"

What can't I be? What are they talking about? Dad knows about this creature inside me. He said, "it can't be," when he saw my eyes. Kota looks to his father. "What am I?"

Matto sighs roughly, "my father told me tales of blood demons. I always thought these were bedtime stories to scare me asleep. Until last night. I wish the creature stayed a story to spare you of this faith. If only I could take on the burden."

"Blood demon??!" Dyani croaks from the couch, her hands grasping the armrests. "What is that?!"

"Your father believes Kota is a vampire."

Kota blinks rapidly, baffled. "VAMPIRE??!!"

"Yes, son. The thirst, the eyes...your teeth. If this was dark magic, as your mother believes, our charms would have healed you. They haven't....meaning your soul is damned not corrupted."

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT! Please fix it! I can't keep hurting people!" Kota pleads. "I'm not in control. Something telling me to kill, make it go away!"

"Son, we're going to help the best we can...but you cannot be saved. You're cursed. The most your mother and I can do is conceal your hunger, so you don't harm anyone. We can also handle the creature. Tell us exactly how it looked and where it fled."

Kota covers his eyes, sniffling. "It had blonde hair and red eyes...it moved like the wind. I'm not sure where it went. I blacked out."

"In the woods? Where exactly?"

"Ummm." He rakes his brain for a moment to remember. "The camping site at the third entrance."

"Dina, can you conduct a location spell?"

"Yes...but it'll take a few days. I'll need artifacts from the scene to draw energy."

Matto grimaces. "Let's go to the campsite."

Odina fidgets her fingers. Her sight darting between Dyani, who's pale, and her unnerved son. "You two should rest."

"Your mother's right."

Kota drops his hands from his eyes. "But...what if it kill you and mom?"

"It won't...now get some sleep." Matto and Odina leave the circle.

"IT'S TOO FAST, IT'LL GET YOU! Please don't go!" Kota stands to follow them. He face-plants into an invisible barrier that prohibits him from exiting. "What?" He bangs his hands against it.

"A blockade...for safety. You'll be confined until your thirst is cleansed." Mother explains.

"Cleansed?? Meaning it'll be gone for good?" Dy is hopeful for this outcome.

"No...a temporary cleanse until there's a final solution. Now, no more questions. Rest, the both of you."

"How can I do that?" Dyani shivers. "My brother is a blood demon!"

"Ease your mind, kamama (butterfly). Trust in me and your father."

Matto shares a tight grin with her and Kota. "Listen and rest; you've been through enough for one day. We'll handle this." Their parents leave to the front door, stepping hastily. The thud of the door and jiggling keys follows after.

Kota vigorously massages his temples; a hard pressure is there. Dyani gets up from the sofa in defense mode. "What's wrong?!! Are you hungry?!"

"No...it's not that."

"Are you sure?!" Her voice increases an octave.

"I am." He lowers his hands. She inches into a corner. "I won't attack you; I promise."

"I don't believe you...you tired to hurt mom and dad."

"That wasn't me."

"It was..." Her throat strain into wiry veins. "You heard dad...he said you're damned. Cursed. Nothing possesses you."

"Dyani, I'm not a killer!" He rumbles.

His sister jumps, half scared yet stubborn enough to hold her ground. "But you killed, Kota! That means you are!"

The bloody ice cream reemerges in his mind. The screams of his victims. His throbbing temples force him to squeeze his eyes shut. "I didn't want to. Please believe me. I never hurt anyone in my life, you know this. I would've never done it if the demon wasn't there. Please believe me, Dy!" He begs. Her brows furrow emotionally. She bites her bottom lip, torn between disgust and pity. "There has to be a spell. A cure," Kota whispers shakily. "There has to be."